I haven't had Internet, as some of you know, for four days while I was on holiday, so today I'm uploading three chapters at once. I was tempted to upload the rest tomorrow, so you guys would have to wait on a cliffhanger... but I'm too nice for that!
Tom's Point Of View
There was a knock at the door while Josh and I were having breakfast. Neither of us moved. "I'll get the door, then, son?" I said, jokingly.
"Well, you need to keep up the exercise, don't you? Sitting at your desk all day!" Josh joked back.
"Less of the cheek!" I headed towards the door, and opened it. "Oh, hello, Finn."
"Hi, sir. Is Josh there?"
"Yes, he is. Josh! It's Finn!" Josh walked into the hallway, holding half a piece of toast. "You may as well have answered the door yourself!"
"Yeah, oh well. You can clear the table now!"
"Thanks, son. Always so keen to do the housework, aren't you? Oh, and Josh- tuck your shirt in, you look like a mess!" I walked towards the kitchen and I saw Josh pull a face at my back. "Oy! I saw that!"
"Of course you would, you're a teacher, you've got eyes in the back of your head!"
In the kitchen, I looked at the table and sighed. Cereal bowls, newspapers, coursework folders, marking... you name it, it was on the table. They were originally in neat piles, but after two weeks of Josh being let off his chores, the house was looking like a bomb had hit it... and the table was the least of my worries. I cleared away the breakfast stuff, but when I picked up a pile of paper, it knocked a pot of pens all over the floor. Great, more to tidy up. I started to pick up the pens, when Josh stuck his head in the door. "Dad, I'm going to school with Finn."
"Okay- behave! You don't want trouble on your first day!"
"I will. Oh, and great job tidying up the kitchen." Josh smirked. "Bye."
"So helpful..." I muttered.
Half-an-hour later, I am driving to work, still feeling slightly guilty because of the Year 10 essays that nearly ended up in the bin. I now have a tidy kitchen table, even though the rest of the house still resembles World War Three. It's a start, I guess. Maybe I can get Josh to help me with the tidying tonight. Fat chance, he'll probably be out with Finn or Lauren or someone, taking advantage of his freedom after being house-bound for the last fortnight. Today's his first day back at school, and I'll be keeping an eye on him. Too many things have happened to my son recently!
I get out of the car, and notice Nicki walking across the car park. I smile and wait for her. We've got so much closer recently. Nicki's always the first one to ask about Josh; to offer when I need help; to joke or say something to cheer me up; to reassure me when I'm convinced that I'm a rubbish dad... when I needed someone, she was there for me, and I'm grateful for that. Any awkwardness or resentment that was there from our previous arguments has gone, and I'm glad. It's so much nicer to be on friendly terms with Nicki, she's a great person to know.
"Hi, Tom! Josh's first day back?"
"Yep. I hope he's okay."
"He'll be okay- he's got Lauren and Finn, they're good friends."
"I'll take your word for it." I grin. Sometimes, good friends can make a world of difference.
We walk to the staffroom together, chatting and laughing, and then take our seats, ready for the staff meeting. Soon, the staffroom is full, and Michael comes in. "Morning, everyone." He says. He starts the meeting, talking about budgets and behaviour and exams, the normal spiel. But he then smiles. "Now, I am pleased to announce that we have had a lot of interest in the battlefields trip, and we have decided to go ahead with the trip. We will be taking 45 students to France and Belgium to see historic sights related to the First World War. The trip will run from Friday until Sunday. Ben and I will both be going, as we are organising the trip, but we will need two other staff members to come with us. Is anybody interested?"
There are various murmours. Going on a school trip with Waterloo Road may as well be a death sentance. The kids would no doubt get into some sort of trouble, we would most likely lose someone, and we would probably be banned from going to the hotel, and possibly the country, ever again.
"Yeah, I'll do it." I find myself saying. Well, it would be interesting, and as Josh had wanted to go on that trip, it would be another chance to keep an eye on him.
Michael grinned. "Great! Now, we need one of you women to get involved. You know, for the girls' pastoral care..." He trailed off, noticing a united shaking of heads from the female faculty. "Oh, come on! Sian?"
"I can't go, Michael, or else that'll be all three of the heads and deputys away."
"Oh yeah. Anybody else? Diane?" Diane, who taught maths, shook her head. "Louise? Nicki?"
Nicki looked up. "Okay. No problem."
"Good! So, I'll give you the details at a later date, when we confirm the numbers, and we'll have to have a meeting... got a lot of paperwork to look forward to!" A laugh went around the room. Everybody else was VERY glad not to have extra paperwork. People started trickling away to their registration groups, muttering about last-minute marking and troublesome classes. The usual moans and groans. Nicki and I walked out together, as our rooms were next to each other.
"Looks like we're going to the battlefields in October, then?" She grinned.
"It's going to be good. The history is interesting, and it's a challenge..."
"Oh, we're always up for a challenge!"
Later on, at lunch, we're sitting in the staffroom. Grantly, as usual, is glued to his racing post. Sian and Jez are animatedly discussing something. I'm marking Year Eight work. All is calm, all is peaceful. But, being Waterloo Road, not for long...
Nicki bursts in, making her usual dramatic entrance. But today, the entrance isn't purely drama. "Guess what I just found?" She asks, and she sounds serious. Something's going on...
"Some people having it off in a cupboard?" Grantly asks, not lifting his eyes from the newspaper.
"Yes, actually. Kyle and Shelby, in the supplies cupboard." She pauses. "But that's not all. Look at this." Nicki says, holding up a pot, which contained bright blue liquid.
"Vodka shots?" I exclaim, reading the label.
"Evidently so. It was on the floor, fallen out of a backpack. And guess who's selling it?"
"Hmm, I'm guessing a certain Mr Stack. That means..."
"... locker search." Nicki finishes off my sentance.
Chalky, Nicki and I find Kyle, Tariq, and surprisingly, Harley. Kyle and Tariq, we would expect, but Harley... he's not usually a troublemaker.
"Okay, Harley, you're up first. Keys?" Nicki says. Harley hands her the keys and points sullenly towards a locker. Nicki opens it... and it's clear. Just some books and a PE kit. "Thank you, Harley. Kyle, you're next." Kyle hands Nicki the keys and points to another locker. Nicki opens it, and guess what we find. Several packs of the vodka. Surprise surprise.
"Impossible! It's... it's a stitch-up!"
Nicki snorts. "Yeah, course it is."
"Someone. Set. Me. Up." Kyle snarls.
"You, young man, are going to see Mr Byrne." Nicki says, reaching for Kyle. Kyle dodges away, swinging his arm... and punching Nicki in the face. She gasps, backing into the lockers, hand over her nose. Chalky and I grab for Kyle, while Tariq makes a run for it. We can talk to him later. I look over my shoulder as we start to drag Kyle to Michael's office.
"Nicki? Are you okay?" I ask, concerned.
"It's just a nose bleed. I've seen worse." Nicki says, voice muffled under a tissue. We walk to Michael's office, and Janeece leaps up, alarmed.
"Go straight through!" She says worridly.
When we walk into the office, Michael looks serious. "What happened? Mr Chalk, take Kyle out there and wait." He waits until the door shuts behind them. "What happened? Are you okay, Nicki?"
"Just a nose bleed." She says.
"Nicki found Kyle and Shelby making out in the supplies cupboard. Not too serious, but this is what she found on the floor. Vodka." I hold up the shot.
"Kyle's selling it, I presume?" Michael says dryly.
"Yes. We found it in his locker. Nicki tried to bring him to your office and he went for her, as you can see, which ended up with Chalky and myself restraining him."
"Right." Michael says, slowly. "This will mean suspension. And as he's not coming back to the sixth form, it looks like we'll have seen the last of Kyle Stack."
"We'll leave you to break the news to him." I say, and we walk out. Nicki still looks pretty shaken, and now the nosebleed has stopped, I can see a bruise forming on her nose. "Are you sure you're okay?" I ask. I don't want her to be hurt or upset.
"Yes, I'm fine. Really!" She says, trying to smile.
"Do... do you want to come round for a takeaway later?"
"Er, okay... as long as Josh will be alright with it."
"Don't worry about Josh, he'll be fine. And if he's not, no dinner for him!"
"Ok, sure. Thanks, Tom." Nicki says, smiling for real.
"That's okay." I say, and I mean it. Nothing is too much trouble... if I'm doing it for Nicki.